Monday Therapy
Photograph by Mother Jones, RN
Those are my tootsies sticking out from the bubbles. I’m not in a good mood. In fact, I would rate my mood as a 9.5 on the “Cranky Old Nurse Scale.” My entire body hurts. Why? Because one of my patients went ballistic and repeatedly slammed me into a wall this weekend when I was at work. Then I had to tackle my patient in the hallway with the help of another nurse while security raced to our unit. I know what’s going to happen next. My boss is going to call me up on the phone and ask, “What are you going to do to keep this situation from happening again?” Here’s a thought. LEAVE NURSING! We were understaffed, and we didn’t receive any support when we told administration something very bad was going to happen if we didn’t get extra help. But everyone knows that it’s always the nurse’s fault when something goes wrong on his or her unit.
I’ve unplugged the phone, popped some Tylenol, and I’m taking a long hot bubble bath while sipping on a few Margaritas. Oh yeah, and I’m also taking pictures of myself getting drunk in the bathtub. Thank God for quiet Monday afternoons.
Those are my tootsies sticking out from the bubbles. I’m not in a good mood. In fact, I would rate my mood as a 9.5 on the “Cranky Old Nurse Scale.” My entire body hurts. Why? Because one of my patients went ballistic and repeatedly slammed me into a wall this weekend when I was at work. Then I had to tackle my patient in the hallway with the help of another nurse while security raced to our unit. I know what’s going to happen next. My boss is going to call me up on the phone and ask, “What are you going to do to keep this situation from happening again?” Here’s a thought. LEAVE NURSING! We were understaffed, and we didn’t receive any support when we told administration something very bad was going to happen if we didn’t get extra help. But everyone knows that it’s always the nurse’s fault when something goes wrong on his or her unit. I’ve unplugged the phone, popped some Tylenol, and I’m taking a long hot bubble bath while sipping on a few Margaritas. Oh yeah, and I’m also taking pictures of myself getting drunk in the bathtub. Thank God for quiet Monday afternoons.
posted by Mother Jones RN at 4:31 PM
17 Comments:
Oh, MJ! You poor thing! It is so NOT the nurse's fault when the system people refuse to listen to the nurse and repeatedly leave ya understaffed, shortchanged etc. OMG You take care of yourself now, ya hear (er, I mean read)? (((hugs)))
That is just down right unacceptable....please tell me that they would offer you some debriefing, ask about your well being...oh dear god...if they treat their staff that way....one can only imagine...I am sure you have to write up an incident report...I certainly hope you reflect the direct correlation between the under staffing and you getting thrown around...shame on them..shame shame shame.....
enjoy your time and the tub...you more than deserve it...
Sounds like time for a visit to your doctor and a workman's comp claim. It, also, sounds awful --- I'm so sorry! On the other hand, I covet your bathtub! I want to remodel one of the bathrooms in our Ohio home and I want a soaking tub. Nothing works like lying in a tub of hot water. Tell your supervisor to take a flying leap!
Mother Jones!
I left psych nursing because of dangerous short staffing. I figured it wasn't worth my salary to possible have the crap knocked out of me by a paranoid-schiz who was getting commands from his dog's eyes to kill people before police hauled him in on a warrant and dropped him in our laps.
That, or the man found with semi-automatics cocked and ready to shoot pointed out every window of his apartment toward a funeral home across the street. (He had called police to tell them that several times a day cars were driving up en masse to do surveillance on him! Wouldn't that be great? Go to attend a viewing and end up in a casket the next room the next day?)
So, let me guess. The patient who used you like a yo-yo is in four point restraint and waiting to come off a groggy drug coctail to perform Act Two?
Lord, Mother Jones! Be careful!
Tammy
In a perfect world the System would be on the hook for facilitating battery. To bad it's not a perfect world.
Please tell me you pressed charges against the pt. Please!
Hope you're felling better after your soak.
:( I'm so sorry, that is just horrible...but I'm glad that you are soaking in a tub. :)
That is such a neat picture, by the way. :-P
I'm so sorry.
My answer to that question might possibly be "sue the hospital for failing to provide adequate staffing and security to ensure my safety." That would probably make them sit up and pay attention.
Has the patient been declared incompetent? Then press charges.
I'm sorry this happened to you, it is harsh illustration how little the nursing staff means to administration.
Oh, BTW - if you are union I would immediately file a grievance.
1st time visiting this blog - seems to address the issues. for the record, things are not much different in canada in terms of the nature of a manager's heart. why are they so g-d cold?
my day yesterday was somewhat similar except i ran faster than he did - straight through his room into the bathroom and out the ther side (quickly locked while he tried to figure out where i went).after he was confined he punched a hole in the wall and removed about two garbage bags of insulation; i know in my heart of hearts i will have some 'splainin to do, like how could i have possibly allowed property damage to occur?i hope they try to make me pay for it...
Oh that just sucks out loud. I hope the margarita's and bubble-bath helped. When you get that phone call, just tell the administrator you are going to lock that patient in THEIR office, next time.
If you're worried about the Tylenol and Tequila---just mix a little Mucomyst in your Margarita. Mmmm---
I'm sorry to hear about that. Hope the tub soak helped.
If life imitates art, then it sounds like a lobotomy is in order for that dude.
I'm glad you're ok and shocked that your place of works seems to place such little value in its most important asset. Please do whatever you can to make sure this doesn't happen again to you--or another staff!
Poor thing! You deserve a break for sure! I love that you have a bathtub to soak in! Girl, I keep telling all my nurse friends that home health is the way to go!
You need to press charges. Unless nurses are willing to stand up to this kind of abuse, it will continue.
I have to agree with ERNursey. Somebody has got to take responsibility for what happened to you and I think you should start with the patient first.
Geez! That is so awful... :P Isn't there any way to "motivate" the administration to do something about the staffing situation? A letter to the Pres of the hospital worked for our OR. If that doesn't work, maybe get your local TV station investigative newsteam to do a feature on your facility? Hmmm... How about calling Oprah?
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